Election brings power shift in Irvine

Come December, mayor-elect Steven Choi will preside over a new Irvine City Council majority featuring three Republicans.

However, many voters will be surprised to learn that Councilman Larry Agran, while defeated in his bid for mayor, will still retain his seat on the council and the Great Park Corporation Board.

Agran was "running safe," a term used to describe the scenario wherein a candidate is in the middle of his or her term and remains in office regardless of the election outcome.

Mayor Pro Tem Beth Krom won re-election and will also remain seated on the council, although I doubt she will be mayor pro tem for much longer.

Former councilwoman Christina Shea, a Republican, will return to the council and bring much-needed institutional knowledge and a business perspective that has been absent for a couple of years.

So what can we expect from a Republican-led city council? Is the iShuttle program dead? Will the council fire all consultants? Will the Great Park have lush trees and green lawns and an entrance that's discernible to anyone short of a super-sleuth? Will all new apartment and single family home development be halted and growth plans slashed?

My guess is that the city will operate pretty much as it always has been.

The streets and parks will be as safe as ever.

It is, however, likely that proposals to ban plastic bags, stop the sale of pets or force contractors to pay their employees a living wage will fall flat or never even make it onto a city council agenda.

But the real business of the city, the growth and development of new homes, retail, educational institutions and office buildings, all of which fuel the city's economic engine, will keep chugging along.

When January arrives (assuming all the political signs lining Culver and Jeffrey are gone by then), for most Irvine voters this election will be forgotten and life will have long returned to normal.

Not because the shift from Democratic to Republican control is insignificant, but rather because Irvine voters are content with steady leadership that focuses on the core issues of public safety and good schools.

In fact, on Tuesday voters rejected new leadership, opting instead for those they know. Viable candidates like Lynn Schott and PK Wong lost because voters preferred to elect a team with a proven record, which has brought the city to where it is today.

Once the new mayor and city council members are sworn-in just before the end of the year, the five members will collectively have served in Irvine elective office for well over 50 years.

Freelance columnist Adam Probolsky lives in Rancho San Joaquin and is CEO of Probolsky Research LLC, which specializes in opinion research for government, corporate and political clients. Follow him @AdamProbolsky or email adamprobolsky@gmail.com.

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